The present invention relates generally to a writing instrument having a display window on its barrel or body. More particularly, the present invention relates to a writing instrument wherein a display window on the body of the writing instrument is used to display images from inside the body.
The present invention further relates to a writing instrument having a locating stripe or mark thereon for facilitating accurate, efficient assembly of a writing instrument.
Writing instruments have been used in the past for displaying images or messages. U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,395, issued to George W. Kirklen, discloses a writing instrument having a display feature. The writing instrument described therein comprises an opaque barrel having a window for displaying advertising or other indicia mounted inside the barrel. The barrel is hollow and has a conventional cartridge mounted therein. A sleeve located inside the barrel surrounds the cartridge and bears display notations or indicia on its exterior surface. The indicia are arranged to show through the window.
Two types of windows have typically been used in prior art writing instruments. In a first type, an open hole exists in the barrel. This first type of window may be susceptible to dust and debris, which may enter the barrel through the hole and may accumulate inside the writing instrument. In a second type of window, a piece of transparent plastic material is inset into an opening in the barrel. While this second type of window may generally be less susceptible to dust and debris than the first type, insetting the separate window into the barrel requires (1) the production of the separate window piece, and (2) the subsequent application of the piece to the body. Such additional steps can significantly increase the cost of production.
Other windows for writing instruments have been created wherein the window is neither a hole nor a separate piece of transparent material formed into the body. For example, windows for viewing the ink level of a free-ink pen have been created with a transparent barrel or body having a wrap disposed about the transparent body. The wrap may generally comprise (1) an opaque colored portion, and (2) a transparent portion for creating a window. The transparent portion may be surrounded by a differently colored portion of the wrap distinguishing a window (e.g., a light colored boundary between a transparent window portion and a darker opaque colored portion). Therefore, the window portion of such a writing instrument includes two layers of material: (1) the transparent portion of the wrap; and (2) the transparent barrel.
When such a wrap is used to create a window, consideration must be made of certain critical characteristics of the wrap. For example, if the transparent portion of the wrap is not exactly colorless, the display window might be inappropriately discolored. Further, application of the wrap to the outer surface of a writing instrument body is likely to create air bubbles under the transparent portion of the wrap, thereby disturbing the appearance of the window. Moreover, because the transparent wrap material may have a different index of refraction than the transparent body material, application of the wrap to the body might cause the appearance of the image shown through the window to be distorted. Such considerations become more significant when text or detailed figures, rather than a pen""s ink level, are to be displayed from inside the body. In addition, when text or detailed images are to be displayed, proper alignment of the images with the window becomes critical.
The present invention relates generally to a writing instrument having a transparent display window on its barrel or body member, wherein the display window is created by applying a wrap element having an opening therethrough to a transparent portion of the body member. The opening in the wrap element, in combination with the transparent portion of the body member, defines a windowed portion of the writing instrument.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a display member may be mounted inside the body member. The display member may have a visual image thereon. Further, the display member may be configured and disposed to display the visual image through the windowed portion of the writing instrument. In one embodiment, the display member may be movably mounted inside the body member. For example, the display member may be rotatably mounted inside the body member. The writing instrument may further have an advancing mechanism operatively associated with the body member, wherein the advancing mechanism is configured and disposed to move the display member upon activation of the advancing mechanism. For example, the advancing mechanism may be configured and disposed to rotate the display member. In one embodiment, an actuating mechanism is provided for moving a writing element into and out of a writing position. The actuating mechanism may be configured and disposed to also serve as the advancing mechanism for moving the display member.
The present invention also relates to a method for forming a writing instrument comprising a plurality of components, including, for example, a body member, a windowed portion on the body member, and a first component within the body member. The first component may be viewable through the windowed portion. The method may involve (a) aligning the first component with respect to a second component of the writing instrument according to a predetermined positional relationship between the first component and the second component and (b) aligning the second component with respect to the windowed portion according to a predetermined positional relationship between the second component and the windowed portion so that the windowed portion and the first component are aligned with respect to each other.
The present invention further relates to a writing instrument having a locating mark thereon for enabling accurate and efficient assembly of the writing instrument. The locating mark is disposed on the writing instrument according to a predetermined positional relationship with respect to at least one feature or component of the writing instrument. In one embodiment, a writing instrument has a wrap element disposed about its body member. A locating stripe or mark is disposed on the wrap element according to a predetermined positional relationship with respect to at least one feature or component of the writing instrument.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the locating mark may be disposed on the wrap element according to a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a clip mounted on the writing instrument. In another embodiment, the locating mark may be disposed on the wrap element according to a predetermined positional relationship with respect to an opening in the wrap element. In a further embodiment, the locating mark may be disposed on the wrap element according to a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a visual image on a display member mounted inside the body of the writing instrument.
The present invention further relates to a writing instrument, wherein the display member has a locating mark thereon. The locating mark may be disposed on the display member according to a predetermined positional relationship with respect to at least one feature or component of the writing instrument.
The present invention further relates to a method for forming a writing instrument, wherein a wrap element and a body member are provided. A locating mark is formed on the wrap element according to a predetermined positional relationship with respect to at least one feature or component of the writing instrument. Subsequently, the writing instrument is assembled using the locating mark to position the wrap and the at least one feature or component of the writing instrument according to the predetermined positional relationship. In one embodiment, the locating mark is formed by creating an opening, such as a hole or slot, in the wrap element. In a further embodiment, the writing instrument is assembled according to a predetermined positional relationship between the locating mark and a clip.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, the scope of the invention being set out in the appended claims.